Story #1 "Los Gatos Azules" Day 1 -- Spanish Beginners

Spanish beginners, second day of class and first day of storytelling. On the first day we went over the course outline, I showed them Sr. Wooly "Puedo ir al Baño" and the alphabet song. We talked about class rules and expectations and that was it. On the second day of class we jumped right into storytelling.
Check my books: "Teaching Spanish with Comprehensible Input Through Storytelling First, Second and Third Year", and "Teaching French with Comprehensible Input Through Storytelling First, and Second year", where you can find a whole curriculum to teach Spanish (and French) through storytelling and comprehensible Input. They are available on Amazon.com

[@aztecguy]

I love this. I'm teaching my self Japanese but want to incorporate this to my studies. i guess I have to teach my tutor how to teach me :P

[@luiscastillejos7349]

Hola soy de Mexico 🇲🇽. Les deseo suerte en este maravilloso idioma que es el español.

[@victorrojas8745]

A very effective teaching method for beginners.

[@learningthroughreading]

Yes! and for advanced people as well. I teach advanced students and they learn more than ever with this methodology. Their language acquisition happens very fast, efficiently and naturally.

[@hambonenla]

This fall will be my 3rd year to teach Spanish, and I'm going to try TPRS for the first time. On this video, I wish the camera had done at least one shot of what words you have on the board, and what you were pointing to off to the students' left (maybe you were using an infrared pointer at some other vocabulary words). Great presentation. I'm getting excited!

[@learningthroughreading]

I project the words that I need to tell the story. I don't want to be writing on the board the whole time, as I need my attention focused on the storytelling process, and yes, I use a laser pointer. What I was pointing at to the left were the question words that are on that side of the classroom. I hope you enjoy doing TPRS, it is such a great way of teaching languages!

[@erikaervie5336]

Is there a way I could see what you have projected on the board?

[@learningthroughreading]

I have projected the vocab that I need to tell the story. The vocab is in Spanish and it has the English translation. I use an infra red pointer. The vocab is the one I have in my books, I just put it on a ppt so I don't have to write it all the time. I have it ready and project it.

[@bettymuller9715]

Hola amiga! Question. So basically here you have vocabulay that you have students write in their notes. Then you pqa with them right? So it may take you 2 days. Then what? You mentioned skits. What skits are they doin? How are you instructing them? Afterwards you write up this story with them? Then you are using an extended reading from your book? How do you know what structures to choose to tell a story? This is what I struggle with. How do you create a storythat you plan to teach to the kids? What is your goal? Do you say today I want to teach how to introduce myself and what I like and then think of the words you will need for that day? Love your way of teaching. So fun!

[@yulei3141]

Thank you for your sharing. I am going to teach Chinese through TPRS. I am wondering how much do you teach the first class. Does that include"My name is...../ I am ..../ He is....?"

[@olgacones5014]

Very good! What do you have written in the blackboard? I can't see. I'm assuming: Hay, se llama... tiene .. ?

[@sarahkendall3313]

SOS! I need your help otra vez. I use your books as my main curriculum! And I LOVE it. However every once in a while, I have a student or two who BOMBS the test or quiz. Do you have and insight on this? Why are certain kids just not getting it? I go SOOOOOOO slow. and I point to the word every time I say it. I don't know how to help those few kiddos....

[@ruslankakenov5583]

mrs ramirez, thanks for the class video. it feels like it is about drilling to me although i admit that you personalize the class and try to make it funny.

[@learningthroughreading]

Hello Rusland, have you been to a TPRS language class? it is not drilling, it is providing enough comprehensible repetitions so the beginner learners understand what is going on. When I go to beginners Russian or Latin classes I need the slow, repetitive questions for me to be able to grasp and understand what is going on.

[@ruslankakenov5583]

thanks for a quick reply, I am still trying to understand what TPRS is.

[@learningthroughreading]

Hello Ruslan. Have you gone to a workshop or read about it in the internet?

[@ruslankakenov5583]

TPRS Storytelling i watched videos on youtube and read some materials on the internet. i havent gone to any workshops yet but i feel that i need some

[@loredamia]

I have been looking for this for so long and finally, I have found your books! But I need them as soon as possible. Do you have ebooks available? or .pdf files? Through Amazon, it will take up to 3 weeks for delivery... :(

[@learningthroughreading]

It usually takes less time. Thanks!

[@rociodiazniachi4335]

@@learningthroughreading good to know! I also just bought your set of books Adriana, and I hope they arrive sooner than what Amazon said. Thank you so much for sharing your videos with all of us, this is extremely extremely extremely helpful.

[@suzannebarulich5352]

Thanks for posting this video! I loved your presentation! I just took a TPRS workshop and I'm hoping to implement this for the coming year. What materials are you using? I bought a book from TPRS, but your story has much more content for Day 1. Thanks.

[@learningthroughreading]

Hello! I published my one curriculum, you can find all my books and novels on Amazon. Type: Adriana Ramirez Spanish Books, and you will see all my books.

[@janislampi]

Hi. I love the way you teach and would like to use your curriculum but I teach German. Do you have an English version that I could translate, or is there a German version coming?

[@learningthroughreading]

Hello Jody, thank you for your kinds words. Unfortunately I don't have an English version of it. I have all my books in Spanish and most of them in French.

[@janislampi]

TPRS Storytelling: OK. Thanks for your reply.

[@JosephM6961]

¡Qué buena lección! Tengo una duda: ¿El método de TPRS permita a los estudiantes hablar desde el principio? ¿No hay énfasis en el "silent period?"

[@learningthroughreading]

No se forza el output pues no tienen suficiente idioma en la cabeza para crear, pero se juega con lo que se tiene, y como la clase es participativa y se construye con las sugerencias de los alumnos, ellos hablan, cada uno a su medida. El que no pueda o no quiera hablar, pues no habla, pero hay muchos que desde el principio ya pueden y se sienten cómodos contestando preguntas, así que por qué no?

[@Leaellynasaura317]

How do you pick student actors? Do they volunteer, or do you just decide for them? Are the actors always the same people? Thanks so much! I just found your curriculum and bought it, and I'm going to start trying it out even if there's only a month left of school. Amazing results!

[@learningthroughreading]

I ask them who wants to be my student actor. I usually get enough volunteers.

[@norella858]

Thank you Ms.Ramirez for these videos! Do you think this would work well for Middle Schoolers? I want to try it out with them but I'm a little nervous they wont have the attention span (especially 6th and 7th graders) I'm not sure though since this will be my first time teaching 6th,7th and 8th (I've always taught HS)..have you ever tried this with Middle School?

[@learningthroughreading]

It will definitly work with middle schoolers. You need to do brain brakes every 15 minutes or so, like: stand up, sing a short Spanish song, do some TPR. The grade that I am teaching in this video is Grade 9 first semester of the school year, so basically grade 8! give it a try, do it in shorter periods of time, mixing it with brain brakes, drawing the story in a comic format, etc, and you will be successful.

[@JD-iz5vv]

Norell, I tried this out with 2 classes that are complete beginners. It is working very well with 8th grade- 20 students max. I mix in other daily starters. I am having a hard time doing this with the larger class sizes of 30 + kids middle school age. They are not used to the idea that they can interrupt the teacher to stop the class for help. Any suggestions on how to implement story telling with larger class sizes in middle school?

[@learningthroughreading]

JD, my classes are always of 30 students. They absolutely love learning with stories, they know is a crazy, fun, very intense learning time and that if they engage and participate, they will learn a lot. You have to teach/train them to interrupt, to yell the answer out, to be good crazy :) . Parallel characters are always a hit. In this story, since they don't know Spanish yet (this is their very first story of their life, second day of school) I prompt the parallel character by saying that one of the boys in my class likes blue girls. They think is hilarious. Everyone is engaged.

[@sarahkendall3313]

Adriana, could you possibly give me some insight as to how you grade? What does your grade book look like? Do you grade their timed writing? I have the problem in that the exams SO out weigh the rest of their course work (As some are VERY extensive). Do you have a participation grade in your curriculum?

[@learningthroughreading]

Hello Sarah, I have several categories: writing, vocab quizzes, skits, and comics. I don´t have a participation grade. All my marks are basically given within those categories, plus the final exam and a final project.

[@learningthroughreading]

@Karla Macias Final exam has a reading piece (a story + questions), a listening piece, an oral piece and a writing piece. Students don't have to study for it as with CI you move away from memorizing and you use your acquired language.

[@lilianeallen4164]

Also, I ordered the books but did not receive the ppts with vocabulary. I thought that came with the books?

[@learningthroughreading]

I send those as an email attachment. They do not come with the books per-se, but I share them with those who buy the books and want them. So you have to email me so I can send them to you. My email is: [e-mail]

[@jeanleonard3440]

This is great, but I'm just wondering what activities you would do for the rest of the period?

[@learningthroughreading]

So many other things... Everything we do is based on comprehensible input methodologies.

[@lizethbarreiros6072]

Adriana me estoy viendo todos tus videos. Me encanta aprender y mejorar para mis estudiantes. Me podrías decir que temas se tratan en el primer libro por favor. Gracias de antemano

[@learningthroughreading]

La verdad no es por tema, sino que se trata de enseñar las palabras de uso más frecuente.

[@kathycorkery9670]

On this first day of story, BEFORE you began storytelling DID YOU HAVE THE STUDENTS WRITE THE VOCAB into their notebooks?

[@learningthroughreading]

Yes, I did. They always write their vocab into their notebooks.

[@messengerofgoodnews]

What is your advice for someone who teaches K5-5th grade twice a week for 30min and 6-8th grade twice a week for 45min? In fact, K5-5th grade at one school I only have once a week for 30min. Feels like we dont get very far week after week. I tend to fall back into grammar units which is way easier to manage with 550 students at two schools.

[@learningthroughreading]

Hello Angela. Providing your students with CI is better in the long run and will always translate in language acquisition, even if you don't get the amount of hours that you would like to have with them. I would still do some P.Q. stories, picture talks and movie talks. They will enjoy your class and will learn way more.

[@veronicacross246]

Hi. How many times do you tell this story? I mean after the first day you tell it, do you repeat it again next time you see them? What's the follow up? I've always wondered how many time you repeat the same story. Thanks for your help.

[@learningthroughreading]

I take three days telling the story from beginning to end, so every time, during those days, I review what we have done so far and keep adding to it. I don't tell the story three times but keep working on the same story for three days. Then we do writing go the story, extended reading, comic, etc. I use their comics to retell the story a couple more times.

[@veronicacross246]

Thanks for your reply!

[@veronicacross246]

I have one more question. How often do you teach this class? How many times a week? Thanks again!

[@learningthroughreading]

We are on a semester system so I see them every day from September to January. And then I will get them again in Sp10 from February to June.

[@lilianeallen4164]

Mrs. Ramirez, I contacted you through Amazon after purchasing your books. I needed to know if you have a discounted price for bulk book buying?

[@learningthroughreading]

Hello Liliane, my emails is [e-mail] I do have a discounted price for bulk buying. Email me please so we can discuss it. Thanks!

[@angelaflores2152]

LOVE this!!! Is there a copy of the PPT somewhere?

[@adrianaramirez4745]

Thank you! When people buy my books I send them the ppts with the vocab.

[@contenidoycontinente6756]

@@adrianaramirez4745 tus libros se venden en Europa?

[@Sara-qb7ue]

Hi Adriana, I bought your book but I did not get the ppts!@@adrianaramirez4745

[@kathycorkery9670]

Oh, I see! U waited till the end then they wrote. Do you ever GIVE THEM rhe correct version afterwards?

[@learningthroughreading]

When I finish the storytelling cycle, and after they do the skits, we read a extended reading version of the story. This extended reading version is somehow different from the original, that we did in class. That is the only version that they get, but is a different one. Giving them a correct version of the story you did in class does not change anything.

[@kathycorkery9670]

I watched another video and at end of la Hisoria Basica you all typed it up together. I tried that and had MY copy projected on the screen as we retold theiir version of the story. Otherwise it seemed that some students always ended up with numerous errors with no correct model as a resource.

[@marthacg1353]

excelente...¿ no tiene libros para aprender Ingles..?

[@learningthroughreading]

Hola! No, no tengo libros para aprender inglés.

[@marthacg1353]

gracias maestra.excelente su trabajo...

[@contenidoycontinente6756]

Cómo encontrar tus libros en Europa?

[@adrianafranklin1093]

Es esta historia inventada por los estudiantes? o usted tiene la historia escrita, si es asi, los estudiantes la leen al final? Gracias

[@learningthroughreading]

Es una historia que hace parte de mi curriculum y está escrita pero yo la adpato a cada clase, lo cuál es la idea. Ellos leen la verisón extendida al final del ciclo, como puedes ver en otros videos.

[@kunalkher1729]

Did they learn the verb gustar on the first day ?

[@learningthroughreading]

Yes, on the first day we start with GUSTAR and we use it every single day.

[@dankelty1054]

On one side wall are the question words. In the video, you say what's on the other wall, but I couldn't understand what you say.

[@learningthroughreading]

I have the same question words on both sides of the class so every one can look at them and see them from where ever they are sitting. So sometimes I point at one side, sometimes at the other one.

[@dankelty1054]

Okay, thank you. That's what I expected but wasn't sure about. Thank you! Your videos are extremely helpful. I bought your books, as well, and tomorrow is my first day of classes for the year. I'm a little nervous, but with your videos as a model, I feel like it'll go well. Thanks again!

[@k4yoga]

Would you mind putting the words on the board in the description box? 🙏🏼 Thank you

[@learningthroughreading]

Hello Kim, I don't remember what I wrote on the board. As for what is projected, those are the vocab words that I will be using to tell the story.

[@WylieRobison]

What words are on the overhead?

[@learningthroughreading]

the words I am using to tell the story

[@jasonwang294]

hi mrs ramrez I'm Jason!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@christopheclugston]

Argentian or Uruguayan accent

[@learningthroughreading]

De Colombia :)

[@christopheclugston]

Vale

[@gisepadilla]

nada que ver.....

[@alejandramarchesano8388]

@@learningthroughreading Ya sabia (por la bandera) Yo tambien soy de Colombia y soy nueva en educacion. Apenas me entere de este metodo y estoy leyendo como loca para empezar el lunes (llevaba 8 semanas enseñando con el metodo tradicional)....

[@learningthroughreading]

@@alejandramarchesano8388 Bueno, me alegra que hayas encontrado TPRS y CI. Es algo fantástico. Te advierto que toma su tiempo cogerle el hilo a la cosa, pero vale la pena cada segundo que le inviertas. Te deseo mucha suerte!

[@kathycorkery9670]

This year did you still have el Chico be named Obama? Wondered if you ever have students come up with other GOOD material this VERY FIRST day? Obama has been great so far but tomorrow I’m not sure ?